Excavating apparatus.



No. 629,576. Patented July 25, |899. H. C. LUWRIE.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

(Application Sled Jan. 17, 1899.)

8 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

n@ Nw.

No. 629,576. Patented July 25, |899.

H. C. LOWBIE.- EXGAVATING APPARATUS.

` Applicamn med'Jan. 17, 1899.) (No Model.) a sheets-sheet 2 Inv/enferrNo. 629,576. Patented July 25A, i899.

H. C. LWRIE.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

v (Application lad Jan. 17, 1899.) (N0 Md| a sheets-sheet 3,

THE Nonms 21ans co. PuoToLwHo.. WASHINGTON, n. c,

No. 629,576. Patented July 25, |899. H. c. LowmE. EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 17, 1899.)

8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

Inv 67956079: a f2? No. 629,576'. Patented July 25, |899.

Hjc. LowmE.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

'(Application led Jan. 17, 1899.) (No Model.) s sheets-sheet 5.

` fuenvlor.-

' Way,-

Tu: Norms PETERS co. PHoTaLxTHafwAsHmoToN, n. cv

H. C. LUWRIE.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

(Application Bled Jan. i7, `1899.) (N0 Model-J 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 No..629,576. Patented luly 25, |899.

I I l I we Nonms nerim m.. movaumo.. wAsmNmoN, b. x:

(N0` Model.)

H. C. LDWRIE.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.'

(Application iled Jan. 17, 1899.)

THE Nonms Pzins co wmwuma. WASHINGTON. qc.

8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

O O l O Fen/for:

H. C. LUWRIE. 4EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

(Application led Jan. 17, 1899.)

Patented July 25, |899.

(N0 MdeL) 8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

I J 742 es Inv@ nor:

mm, l @MM me mums PETERS co. moruueo., wAsmNGToN. u. c.

, NITED STATES PATENT 'ExoAvATlNe APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,576, dated J' uly25, 41899. Application niet January 17, 1899. serialrmoases. maman.)

T0 LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY C. LowRIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado,have invented new and useful Improvements in Excavating Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in excavators, and particularly tothe construction and mode of operation of what are known as dpper-shovelexcavators. In apparatus of this class the dipper or scoop is usuallymounted upon the end of an arm required to be alternately depressed andelevated and swung from side to side in the operation of loading anddischarging, and the space necessary for a proper workin g of thisapparatus and the variety of strains incident to the form ot'construction require a weight and cost of plant inapplicable to manykinds of work, particularly trenchwork and the excavation of small areasinaccessible to railway connections. The objectsought by me is adippershovel excavator capable of being constructed at comparativelysmall cost and applicable to excavating generally without regard to theextent or character of the work. NVith this in view I have constructedan apparatus in which the scooporshovel travels up and down an inclinedtrolley-way readily adjustable to abreast of material and also tovarying depths of excavation. The scoop is actuated from ahoisting-engine or other source of power by means of a draft rope orchain and when travcling up the incline gathers its load of material,which is automatically dumped at a predetermined point in its travelafter the power has been released, the scoop then being return ed to thebottom of the incline by gravity. As the scoop leaves the excavation onits upward passage the incline is automatically moved rearwardly andupwardly away from the breast of material, so that the scoop may descendinto the excavation without Contact therewith, and after each descent ofthe scoop lthe incline is automatically advanced, so that the entireapparatus is only advanced at intervals during the progress of the work.

For use in trenchwork I have devised a novel form of plow. This plow istrolleymounted upon the inclined trolley-way in front of the scoop andso arranged and constructed that when it ascends the incline it willtrim the sides of a trench to a width greater than the width of thescoop and when it descends the incline it will contract to a width lessthan that of the trench, so that both scoop and plow descend the inclinewithout contact with the sides ofthe trench.

The entire apparatus is mounted in a suitable frame supported uponcarrying-wheels for both longitudinal and lateral travel, and saidwheels are arranged to be propelled by means of gearing adapted to bethrown into or out of engagement with the driving-shaft of an engineprovided for operatin g the working parts of the apparatus.

After a detail description of an apparatus embodying my invention thefeatures deemed novelwill be duly specified in the claims hereuntoannexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatusembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is aview of the lower portion of Fig. 1on a somewhat larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, therear portion being broken away and the main incline and roof removed.Fig. et is a plan view ot the main incline removed from the apparatus.Fig. 5 is a view of a sliding yoke employed for preventing lateralmovement of the Inain incline. Fig. Gis a view illustrating the mountingof the front carrying-wheels. Fig. 7 is a side view of a portion of thebase of the frame, illustrating the mounting of the rearcarrying-wheels. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 illustrate the operators carriage inside, top, andl front views, respectively. Fig. 11 is a viewillustrating the adjustable stop for limiting the rearward movement ofthe main incline. Fig. 12 is a side view of the scoop and plow and aportionof the main-incline. Fig. 13 is a plan view of Fig. 12. Figs. 14Cand 15 illustrate the scoop in rear and front views, respectively. Fig.1b' is a rear view of the plow. Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the plowon line 17 17 of Fig. 1G. Fig. 1 8 is aside elevation of the upperportion of the apparatus, showing the scoop in its dumping position, aportion of the frame and of the main incline being broken away fordisclosing the dumping mechanism. Fig. 19 is a cross-section of IOO themain incline on line 19 19 of Fig. 1S, and Fig. 2O is a rear view of theupper portion of the apparatus. l

While I have illustrated my apparatus in what I now consider to be itsbest form, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to thedetails of construction nor to the particular form of frame shown, asthese may be widely varied without departure from the main features ofmy invention.

In the apparatus illustrated in the drawings the main frame is made upchiefly of channel-beams, Lbeams, and other forms incident to the useof'structural steel, and the parts are united by gusset-plates or otherwell-known methods of connections. The base A is mounted uponcarrying-wheels, and at each side thereof are erected three inclinedstruts a ct a2, connected together at their upper ends and to across-piece a3, the latter affording support for the upper end of aninclined trolley-way, hereinafter referred to as the main incline.Extending rearwardly from the baseA and rigidly secured thereto are twoparallel inclined channel-beams d4 d4, the lower flanges of which afforda track for the support of the operators carriage C. The beams a4 a4 arerigidly connected together at their outer ends by a cross-piece a5 andare supported by means of rods or angle-irons a6, secured to I- beams a7a7, extending rearwardly from the base A at an angle thereto of aboutforty-five degrees. The beams aldi' are supported bytie-rods as, securedto their upperends and to the cross-piece d3, as clearly shown.

The operators carriage C consists of a frame c, affording support for aseat c', foot-board c2, driving-shaft o3, windlass-shafts c4 c5, andcrank-shafts c c7 o8. The frame c is mounted upon carrying wheels orrollers c9 o9 and o10 C10, supported upon the lower flanges a9 ai of thebeams a4 d4. The rear wheels or rollers o9 o9 are keyed to thedriving-shaft o3, the` latter also carrying two gears c1l c, one at eachside of the frame o. The gears o11 cu engage with racks c12 cl2, mountedupon and projecting beyond the inner upper edges of the beams (t4 a4.The driving-shaft c3 is rotated for propelling the carriage C along thesupportingbeams by means of a hand-crank cl3, secured to a shaft c,carrying pinion om, meshing with a gear 015, keyed to the driving-shaft.The gears c11 c engaging with the racks G12 c12 move the carriage in onedirection or the other, according to the direction of rotation of thehand-crank cl3. For locking the carriage in any position to which it hasbeen moved I provide the d riving-shaft c3 with a well-known form ofband-brake, consisting of a drum o16, engaged and disengaged by afriction band or'strap c, controlled by a hand-lever 018, carrying ahand-operated pawl C19, engaging a segmental rack G20, as will bereadily understood. In front of the driving-shaft c3 are twowindlass-shafts o4 c5, carryingspirallygrooved drumsd d. These drums arerotated by means of gears d2 (Z2, meshing' with pinions d3 cl3 on shaftsc7 es, having handcranks d d4, ratchet-wheels 'd5 d5, and locking-pawlsd d6, all as clearly shown. The forward carrying wheels or rollers n10C10 are mounted in brackets e e', secured to the forward end of theframe o, the brackets e' e' also carrying clips e e, to be hereinafterreferred to.

The main incline Bis constructed of two parallel channel-beams ZJ b,arranged back to back and rigidly secured together at their upper endsby cross-braces b' and at their lower ends by cross-pieces b2 b3,affording a space between the beams for mechanism to be hereinafterdescribed. The lower end of the incline is made curved, as shown, inorder to maintain an even depth of excavation, or occasionally varythesame, as may be required, as well as to facilitate locking the scoop inits working position by means of the draftchain F. The lower fianges194124 of the channel-beams b afford a track for the support oftrolley-carriages carrying the earthworkingtools, and the upper flangesb5 b5 are utilized for supporting the incline, as will be presentlyexplained. The upper end of the main incline is slidably and pivotallysupported by means of clips ff at each side thereof provided with jawswhich embrace the upper flanges h5 b5 and pivotally mounted `in hangersf' f', secured to the cross-piece a3, as illustrated in Figs. 18 and 20.The lower end of the main incline is suspended from the oper atorscarriage by chains dw, secured to the windlass-drums d d and totheincline, as illustrated in Fig. l. At the eXtreme lower end oftheinclineis a spring-buffer provided for easing and breaking the fallof the scoop. This buffer consists of a lateral bar g, held in place bya bolt g', passing through the cross-pieces h2 b3 and provided with acollar g2, affording an abutment for a spiral spring g3, encircling thebolt and interposed between said collar and the cross-piece Z22, asclearly shown in Figs. 4 and 13. is provided with lateral extensions g4below the edges of the beams b b in line with the rear ends of the scooptrolley-carriage E. The bolt g' being round, the bar g may be turned sothat the trolley-carriages carrying the earthworking-tools may bereadily removed from the incline.

The operators carriage C and the main ineline B are slidably connectedtogether bythe clips e e, pivotally mounted to the brackets e e andprovided with jaws embracing the upper flanges b5 b5 of the incline, asshown in Figs. 8 and l0. It will now be understood that an operatorseated upon the carriage C may raise or lower the incline by turning thehandcranks d4 (Z4 and winding in or paying out'on the supporting-chainsd1?. The angular ad justment of the incline is varied by moving thecarriage C forward or backward along its supporting-tracks by rotatingthe hand-crank c13 and operating the band-brake before re- 'Ilhecross-piece g IOO IIO

ferred to for holding the carriage in its position of adjustment. Thelongitudinal adjustment of the main incline is in reality a verticaladjustment with reference to the eX- cavation,` and the depth of cut maybe thus varied without changing the angular adjustment of the incline,and the latter adjustment may also be varied without changing the depthof cut.

The main incline is held against lateral movement by a traveling yoke h,mounted between the channel-beams al a7. This yoke is slidably connectedto the flanges of the beams a7 a7 and is provided with clips h h',having jaws embracing the upper flanges of the incline, as shown in Fig.5. The yoke g follows the swinging movements of the inoline, butprevents lateral movement thereof without interfering with itslongitudinal or vertical adjustment. l

The scoop D is provided with runners and plow-points and is mounted upontrunnions 2, rotating in brackets 3, secured to the trolley-carriage E.The trolley-carrage E is built of channel-steel vand is provided withrollers 4, supported by and upon the lower flanges b4 at each side ofthe main incline B. The trunnions 2 2 are located at each side of thescoop and to the rear of its center of gravity,l so that the scoopnormally hangs in its dumping position illustrated in Fig. 18. At thefront of the scoop is an arched cross-tie 5, the front edge of which isengaged by bolts or latches 6 6 at each side of the trolley-carriage formaintaining the scoop in its upright or working position. (Illustratedin Fig. 12.) These bolts 6 6 are square-faced and projectin the path ofthe cross-tie 5, and they are mounted upon the under side of a cross-bar7, suspended from the trolley-carriage by bolts S 8 and backed bysprings 9 9, surrounding the bolts 8 8, between the trolley-carriageframe and the cross-bar 7, as clearly shown in Figs.l l2 and 15. Thecross-tie f5 is provided with vertical ears 10 10, which engage theinner sides of the bolts or latches 6 6 and prevent lateral deflectionof the scoop and consequent strain upon the supporting-brackets 3. Ontop of the bar 7 and projecting upwardly between the channel-beams b bof the main incline is a lug 11, provided with lateral projections 121.2, which when the scoop reaches the dumping-point at the upper end ofthe incline are engaged by flanges for raising the bolts 6 andpermitting the scoop to swing upon its trunnions and discharge its load.At the front of the trolley-carriage E, at each side thereof, aredeflectors 13 13, these being provided to guard against impin gementshould material pile too high in front of the scoop in traveling up thel. l incline. At the rear of the trolley-carriage E and projectingupwardly between the channel-beams of the main incline is a latch j,which engages with a toothed or notched bart at the upper portion of theincline and prevents the scoop from descending until it has beendischarged4 of its load, as will be hereinafter described. rlhe latch jis formed upon the forward end of a lever j', pivoted in a bracket j2and connected at its rear end by a curved link L7'3 to a cross-barj1.`The cross-barj4 serves as abuffer to break the fall of the scoop indump'- ing and also to release the latch j, and it is suspended from therear of the trolley-carriage E by means of bolts j5j5 andrbacked bylight spiral springs ,i6 ja, encircling the bolts, as clearly shown. Atthe rear of the scoop is a contact-bar 7c, which when the scoop swingsto discharge its load strikes the cross-barj4 and raises the same, andas the blow is at times quite violent I provide additional springs k 7cat the rear of the bar jt, encircling the springs j j and much heavierand somewhat shorter than the latter, so that the cross-bar will beraised sufficiently to release the latch j before coming in contact withthe heavy springs, which arrest and ease the fall of the scoop. At thefront of the scoop is a pivoted bail Z, which when a plow or otherearthworking-tool is not required is attached directly to thedraft-chainF; but as here shown it is connected to the rear of aplow-frame G, mounted upon a trolley-carriage H, having rollers fm,

which travel upon the lower flanges of the main incline in the samemanner as the rollers of the scoop trolley-carriage E before described.

The plow-frame G consists of two arms t n, pivoted to thetrolley-carriage H to swing in lines transverse to the line of draft. Atthe ends of the arms L L are plows '1t' fn', provided with outer cuttingedges t2 'n2 for trimming the sides of a trench. Thearms n n areconnected together by a pair of toggle-joints t3 The forwardtoggle-joint t3 is provided with a hook a5 atits knuckle or joint, towhich the bail l of the scoop is-attached, and the rear toggle-joint t4is similarly provided with a hook a6, to which the draft-chain F isattached. Above the toggle-joints is a spring 17,7, which tends to drawand hold the arms t n together. This spring is interposed betweenabutments ns ng, oppositely connected to the arms n n, in a manner wellknown and clearly shown in Fig. 16. It will now be y understood thatwhen power is applied to the draft-chain F the resistance of the scoopand plows while in engagement with the material being excavated willcause the toggle-joints t3 n4 to be drawn together, andthe arms t n,carrying the plows n n', will in consequence be thrust apart and thelatter brought in proper position for trimming the sides of the trenchwider than the width of the scoop. After the scoop has ascended theincline and discharged its load the spring nl exerts its force to drawthe arms t t together, so that both scoop and plows descend the inclinefree from contact with the sides of the trench.

The draft-chain F passes over a pulley o, connected to thc main inclineat or near its upper end and above its pivotal support, and thencedownwardly over Ipulleys jp and p yto IOO IIO

IZO

the windlass I of the hoisting-engine supportp ed upon the base A. Thepulley o is mounted in brackets o' o', secured to two yokes o2 03,embracing the lower iianges of the main ineline, and pivoted to the yokeo2 are bars o4 o4, pivotally connected at their other ends to thecross-piece as of the main frame, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1S and20. It will be seen that the pulley o although mounted upon the mainincline will always maintain the same relative position to the pivotalpoint of the main incline regardless of the longitudinal adjustmentthereof. It is also to be noted that the pulley o is located somedistance beyond the point at which the upper end ofthe main incline issupported by the frame of the apparatus and that the pull upon thedraftchain F from said pulley is in a downward direction. This downwardpull upon the pulley o tends to raise the lower end of the incline awayfrom the breast of the excavation, and this is an important feature inthe working of my apparatus. The band-brake upon` the operators carriagebeing released and power being applied to the draft-chain the lower endof the main incline will be held down by the engagement of the plows andthe scoop with thematerial being excavated; but as soon as the plows andscoop leave the excavation the lower end of the incline will immediatelyraise and push the operators carriage back upon its supportingtracks,and if before the power is released upon the draft-chain the band-brakebe operated to hold the operators carriage in the position to which ithas been moved the incline will be held in its rearward or raisedposition and the scoop and plows will be free to descend into. theexcavation without contact with the breast thereof. Upon one or both ofthe beams a4 a1 composing the support and tracks for the operatorscarriage I provide au adjustable stop J. (Specially illustrated in Fig.

1l.) This stop consists of a plate q, resting upon the lower flange ofthebeam a1 and provided with upright projections or fianges q q and ajaw q2, the latter embracing the beam a1 for holding the plate q inplace, while at the same time permitting it to be moved back and forththereon. A series of holes g3 are provided in the beam a1 in line with ahole Q4 in the plate q, so that said plate may be locked in differentpositions of adjustment along said beam by a pin g5, as clearly shown.In front of the plate q is a stop-plate g, secured to the end of a rodq1', sliding in the upright flanges of the plate q, and said plate q1*is backed by a spring qs. This stop J is placed in the rear of theoperators carriage, in line with the rear wheels thereof, and is engagedthereby for limiting the upward movement of the lower end of the mainineline caused by the downward pull upon the upper end thereof, beforeexplained.

The hoisting-engine is of a type well known asdouble friction-hoist, andconsists of a' pair of cylinders T T, the pistons of which a y 'Yenerve' are connected to a driving-shafti", the lattei1 carryingfriction-wheels T2 T2, engaging with friction-wheels Ts T3 on a parallelshaft T1, carrying the hoisting-drum I. As is usual with this form ofhoist, the friction-wheels T3 T3 are eccentrically mounted upon theirsupporting-shaft, so that a partial rotation of the latter will cause'the friction-wheels carried thereon to be moved toward or from thedriving-shaft T' for engagement, with or disengagement from thefriction-wheels T1 T2, as will be readily understood. The drum-shaft T1is rotated by a lever T5, secured tothe end of the shaft and connectedby a second lever T6 and rod T7 to a hand-lever T8, pivoted to one ofthe beams a7 directly over and within reach of an operator -seated uponthe carriage C. The windlass-drum I is spirally grooved and madetapering, as shown, and the pulleys p and p', supporting and guiding thechain F, are slidably mounted upon their supportingshafts to follow thelateral movements of the draft-chain in winding upon or unwinding fromthe windlass. Steam is supplied to the cylinders T T from an uprightboiler K through pipes T11, provided with cut-oil. Valves T10 and T11,the former having a hand-lever T12 and the latter a lever T13, connectedby link T11` withl an arm T15, fixed to a shaft T16, the latter carryingtwo upright arms T17 T17, lying in the path of the scoop or otherearthworkingtools traveling upon the main incline. The arms T1 lean tothe rear of the apparatus, and the weight of these arms, together withthe weight of the arm T11 and link T11, hold the valve T11 in its openpositionand open the same after it has been closed by the earthworking-tools, as will be explained.

Between the channel-beams composing the main incline B, at a pointclosely adjacent to its pivotal support, are two iron plates s s,provided with anges s' s', separated from each other by a spacesufficient for the passage of the scoopreleasing lug @'11 beforereferred to. The flanges s' s' are below the lower edge of the inclineat the forward ends of the plates s .sand extend upwardly on a gradualincline to a point about even therewith. Above the iianges s s andextending somewhat beyond the forward ends thereof is a notched ortoothed bar with which the latch j on the scoop trolley-carriage engagesfor preventing descent of the scoop until after it hasdischarged itsload into the hopper L. The plates s s and toothed bar t are secured tohangers t t t', resting loosely upon the upper edges of the beams b b.The plates s s and the toothed bar t are permanently and pivotallyconnected to the main frame of the apparatus by a rod t2, pivotallyconnected to one of the hangers 't' and adj nstably connected to thecross-piece a3, so that the notched bart and the plates s s alwaysoccupy the same IOO IIC

relative position to the main frame and the hopper L regardless of thelongitudinal adjustment of the main incline.

The scoop discharges into a hopper L, su pported by and between thestruts a ct and CL2 a2 of themain frame. The bottom of the hopperinclines downwardly from the center toward the sides of the apparatusand is formed at each side into a chute sufliciently high above theground to admit of discharging into carts or upon any of the well-knownmechanical conveyers. At the center or apex of the bottom of the -hopperis a hinged partition u, which is swung from side to side forcontrolling the discharge of material wholly to the one side or theother of the apparatus, as may be necessary or desirable. Beneath thehopper L is a water-tank O for supplying the boiler K.

The operation of the working parts of the apparatus as thus fardescribed is as follows:V The driving-shaft fr of the hoisting-enginebeing in continuous operation and the earthworking-tools being at thebottom of the main incline the operator, seated upon the carriage C,pushes the lever rs, which rotates the windlass-shaft r4. Thefriction-wheels 7303 being eccentrically mounted upon said shaft arethus brought into contact with the frictionwheels r2 r2 on thedriving-shaft r and the windlass I operated for winding in on thedraft-chain F. The plows and scoop being attached to the end of thedraft-chain ascend the main incline, the plows cutting a path for thescoop and the latter slicing off and gathward pull of the draft-chainupon the upper end of the incline causesits lower end to move outwardand upward away from the breast of the excavation. The operatorscarriage being connected to the incline by the clips e e and free totravel upon its supporting-tracks is pushed back until the rear wheelscJ are broughtin contact with the stop J, which may be adjusted forwardor backward along the beams a4 for increasing or diminishing the upwardmovement of the lower end of theinoline, as may be desired. After theincline has been raised and before the scoop has reached the end of itsupward travel the operator locks the carriage C by means of thebandbrake, and thus holds the lower end of the incline in its raisedposition, so that the scoop and plows in descending the incline will befree from contact with the breast of the excavation. It has already beenexplained that in ascending the incline the plows cut a trench widerthan the width of the scoop and in descending the incline are drawntogether, so that both scoop and plows will be free from contactwiththesides ofthetrench. When the scoop reaches the dumping-point, the lug11,

to swing upon its trunnions when permitted t0 d'0 so by the slackeningof the draft-chain F. At the same time the scoop-bolts are being raisedthe latch j on the trolley-carriage E engages with the notched ortoothed bar t and prevents the scoop from descending the incline untilits load has been discharged. Vhen the scoop has reached the properpoint, the operator is supposed to release the hoisting-windlass fromengagement with its driving-shaft; but should he fail to do so theplowframe G (or the scoop when the plows are not used) will come incontact with the larms or levers r and operate the valve r11 to cut offsteam from the driving-engine; but it is obvious the scoop cannot dumpuntil the-operator freesthehoisting-windlass. The momentthis is done thechain F unwinds from the windlass and the scoop discharges its load intothe hopper L. The swinging of the scoop in dumping causes thecontact-bar at the rear thereof to strike the bar j4 at the rear of thetrolley-carriage and raise the same sufficiently to release the latch jfrom the toothed bar t. The scoop and plows being now free descend bygravity to the bottom of the incline, and in order to prevent a toorapid descent and provide sufficient tension upon the draftchain F toraise the forward end of the scoop I have provided a band-brake t',(shown in Fig. 2,) which operates against one of the friction-wheels r3.This band-brake is under the control of the operator by means of ahandlever fu', connected by link c2 with a lever c3, attached to theband ci in a manner well known. When the earth-working ltools havedescended to the bottom of the incline, the operator vreleasestheband-brake upon the operators carriage7 which allows the lower end ofthe incline to descend and rest upon the scoop and plow-frame. The pullupon the draft-chain F at the next operation of the apparatus which isnow repeated causes the forward end of the scoop to be drawn intolocking engagement with the bolts for holding it in its operativeposition. It will be seen that as the work progresses the operatorscarriage will be moved gradually forward by the gradually-advancingmovement of the main incline7 due to the removal of material from thebreast of the excavation, and this advancing movement of the inclinecontinues until the breast of the excavation has been out away to apoint necessitating a forward movement of the entire apparatus. Whenthis point has been reached, the operator moves the carriage Crearwardly upon its supporting-tracks and by this means moves the mainincline rearwardly, so that the entire apparatus may be advanced untilthe I oo IOS

IIO

IIS

main incline is again 'b1-ought into proper working relation to thebreast of the excavation.

To facilitate the movements of the entire apparatus, the base A ismounted upon carrying-wheels w w and w w', and as these wheels areoccasionally to be removed I have so mounted the apparatus upon theaxles thereof that it may be raised bodily therefrom by the use of jacksor other means, the weight of the apparatus being relied upon forholding the axles and frame together. At the rear of the base A are openbearings to2, Fig. 7, which rest upon the axle w3, carrying the rearwheels w w. Attached to the inner sides of the wheels w w are gears L04104, meshing with smaller gears 105 w, fixed upon a shaft w, mounted insuitable bearings secured to the base A. About midway of the shaft ws isa gear 107, loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with a gear (notshown) carried by a shaft w8, the latter gear meshing with a gear wg,carried by the driving-shaft r of the engine, as illustrated in Figs. 2and 3. The gear 107 is secured to one member of a clutch w10, the othermember of the clutch rotating with the shaft and sliding thereon forcoupling the gear and shaft in a manner well known. The clutch w10 isoperated by a link w11, coupled to a lever w12, secured to the end of anupright rock-shaft w13. At the upper end of said rock-shaft is a leverw14, connected byV rod 'w15 to a hand-lever w16, located above theoperators carriage C. It will be readily understood that by pulling thehand-lever 'w16 the clutch w10 will be operated to lock the gear 107 andshaft we, and thus put into operation the chain of gearing .connectingthe rear wheels with the engine driving-shaft 9". By this means theapparatus is moved backward or forward according to the direction ofrotation of the engine driving-shaft.

The front carrying-wheels w' w' are mounted upon an axle w17, secured tothe lower member 0f a fifth-wheel w18, the upper menr ber thereof beingprovided with a curved saddle w19, having flanges w20, between whichrests a cross-beam al, curved at its center and forming a part of thebase A. It Will be seen that by thus mounting the forwardcarrying-wheels I provide for considerable rocking movement of the axlew17 independent of the frame of the apparatus, and the apparatus maytravel over quite uneven surfaces without tilting from side to side inresponse to the movements of the suppoitingaxle. The apparatus is guidedby means of a chain w21, attached to the ends of the axle 'w17 andpassing around a sprocket or drum w22, controlled bya hand-wheel w23, aswill be readily understood. The front wheels w w are also provided witha brake w24, controlled by a chain w25, sprocket wheel fit-26, andhandwheel w27 in the usual way. Atv the rear of the carrying-wheels w 'wis a drag w28, se-

cured by chains w29 to the base A for preventing backward movement ofthe appatracks formed of timber or other material.v

The apparatus is transferred from the longitudinal traveling wheels tothelateral tracks by raising the entire apparatus by jacks or othermeans sufficiently to free the base A from the front and rearaxleswlland w3, and these being removed the apparatus is lowered upon thelateral tracks previously placed in position beneath the lateralcarrying-wheels.

Weesorr rm i The h l olle s mand x are nounted upon shafts x2 m3, lyingparallel with the right and left hand sides of the apparatus and securedin bearings m, bolted to the base A, as illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3. Theshafts m2 and m3 each carry a beveled gear m5, meshing with bevel-gearsw x6 upon short lateral shafts .x7 mi, also supported in bearingssecured to the base A. Loosely mounted upon the shafts m7 mi' are gearsm8 w8, meshing with gears 009509,

carried by the shaft w8, which is continuously driven by the enginedriving-shaft 7" and before referred to. The gears .frs m8 are eachprovided with a sliding clutch x10 w10 to throw the gears into or out ofrotative engagement With their respective shafts, andthese clutches areoperated by rods and levers connected to hand-levers accessible from theoperators carriage in the same manner as the clutch before described forcontrolling the longitud inal travel of the apparatus.

If the direction of rotation of the several gears be traced in the planView illustrated in Fig. 3, it will be seen that when the engine-shaftis rotating in the proper direction for operating the Windlass -druln I,if the IOO clutch 0010 at the left-hand side of the apparatus beoperated to couple the gear aas with its shaft x7, the wheels or rollersfr will be rotated for moving the apparatus to the left, and if theclutch at the right-hand side of the apparatus be similarly operated thewheels or rollers a: r will rotate for moving theapparatus to the right..Y

In excavating large areas the supportingtrack for lateral travel shouldbe thrown slightly forward at each end alternately after the apparatushas traversed the length of the track,so that a continuous forwardmovement will be effected and a large area covered without the aid ofthe longitudinal carryingwheels. y

In trench Work, as for the laying of pipe, the rapid advance of myapparatus, together with the great advantage of making no deposits uponthe banks of the trench, as is customary under usual methods,greatlylessens the liability of dangerous caving or collapsing of thebanks so usualin such work. Bykeeping the work of pipe-laying closely upbehind the excavator the ordinary sheeting and shoring of the sidesofthe trench will be unnecessary. To guard against occasional cavings,however, I providea hood or shield N to guard the work-men and the lowerend of the main incline, as illustrated in Fig. l. The hood or shield Nis composed of steel or sheet-iron, arched at its top and open at itsbottom and ends and braced by suitable ribs y. At the forward end of theshield is a U -shaped brace y', which holds the sides of the shieldrigidly apart, and said brace is provided with a runner y2, bearing uponthe bed of the trench and supporting the forward end ofA the shield. Therear end of the shield is adjusted and controlled by meansof a long armor handle g3, extending upward ly and rearwardly there-fi from to thesurface line of the excavation. 'lhe hood or shieldis made slightlytapering from front to rear, so that it may be readily disengaged shouldmaterial cave upon it. Caves in advance of the shield will be infrequentand easily handled by the scoop and when behind or upon it no harm willbe done. The shield is advanced by means of a chain 'g/4, connected toand readily disconnected from the main incline B. In traveling fromplace to place the shield is removed and the main incline adjusted tothe position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In order. to protect the hoisting-engine and gearing from water or dirtfalling from the scoop, I have provided a roof z, composed of corrugated iron plates connected together and well turned up at the sides, asat z', to form a trough, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Where the roof ispierced by levers, I provide boxes or flanges z2, surrounding thelever-slots, and covers z3, loosely secu red to and moving with thelevers, as clearlyshown.

I have illustrated and described my apparatus as an excavatingapparatus; but it is obvious that it may be mounted upon a boat insteadof carrying wheels and advantageously used as a dredging apparatus. Theform of scoop employed in. my apparatus and its mode of operationpossess many advantages over the hinged-bottom scoop carried upon theend of a swinging arm or beam, usual in most forms of dredging-machines.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an incline having ascoop or other earthworking `tool or tools supported and guided therebyand adapted tovtravel thereon, means for controlling the saidearthworking tool or tools, and means whereby the said incline may beadjusted longitudinally Without varying its inclination, and its`inclination varied without varying its longitudinal ad justment,substantially as described.

2. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way, a scoop or other earthworking tool or tools supportedv andguided thereby and adapted to travel thereon, the said trolley-way beingslidably and pivotally supported atits upper end and suspended at itslower end by means of a rope or chain controlled by a windlasslongitudinally movable with relation to the apparatus, whereby the saidtrolley-Way may be raised or lowered without varying its inclination, orits inclination varied without Varying its vertical adjustment,substantially as described.

3. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way, a scoop or `other earthworking tool or tools supported andguided thereby and adapted to travel thereon, thesaid trolley-way beingslidably and pivotally supported at its upper end'and slidably connectedat its lower end to a movable support, and means for supporting andmoving said trolley-way longitudinally, substantially as described.

4. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way having a scoop or other earth working tool or toolssupported thereby and adapted to travel thereon, means for controllingthe movements of said earthworking tool or tools, and means forautomatically moving the lower end of said trolley-way rearwardly duringthe ascent of the earthworking tool or tools, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an excavating apparatus, the combination ot' an inclinedtrolley-way having a scoop or other earthworking tool or tools supportedthereby and adapted to travel thereon, means for controlling themovements of the earthworking tool or tools, and means for automaticallyadvancing the trolley-Way after each operation of the earthworking toolor tools, substan tially as described.

G. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an incl-inedtrolley-way pivotally supported near its upper end and flexiblysupported at its lower end so that a downward pull upon it-s upper endwill correspondingly raise its lower end, a scoop or other earth-AWorking tool or tools supported by and traveling upon said trolley-way,'a pulley connected to the trolley-way above its pivotal support, adraft chain or rope attached to the earthworking tool `or tools passingover said pulley and thence downwardly to a source of power,substantially as described.

7. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a main frame,alongitudinally-adjustable inclined trolley-way pivotally supported atits upper end and -flexibly supported at its lower end, a scoop or otherearthworking tool or tools supported by and traveling upon saidtrolley-way, a pulley slidably co/n- -ne'cted to the upper endl of thetrolley-way IOO IIO

tools passingv over said pulley andV thence downwardly to a source ofpower, substantially as described.

8. In an excavating apparatus, thcconibination of an inclinedtrolley-way slidably and pivotally supported at its upper end, a scooper other earthworkin g tool or tools supported by and adapted to travelupon said trolleyway, a carriage slidabl y connected to thetrolley-wayand supported upon tracks above the lower end and in linewith the swingingmovements thereof, means for moving and locking Saidcarriage upon its supporting-tracks, a windlass or windlasses locatedupon said carriage, a chain or its equivalent connecting said windlassor windlasses with the lower end of the trolley-way, a draft chain orrope attached to the carthworking tool or tools, the said draft-chainpassing over a pulleyconnected to the trolley-way above its pivotal support and thence downwardly to a source of power, substan-tially asdescribed.

9. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-Way having its upper end slidabl y supported in pivotedbearings, a carriage located above the lower end of said trolley-Way andslidably connected thereto, means for moving the carriage in linespractically parallel with the swinging movements of said trolley-way, aWindlass on said carriage, and a chain or rope connecting the wiudlassand the lower end of the trolleyway, and a scoop or other earthworkingtool or tools adapted to travel on said trolley-way, substantially asdescribed.

10. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-Way slidably and pivotally supported at or near its upper end,

. a carriage located above the lower end thereof and slidably connectedthereto, means for moving said carriage in lines practically parallelwith the swinging movements of the trolley-Way and locking it againstmovement, means for supporting said trolley-way longitudinally,.a scoopor other earthworking tool or tools mounted upon said trolley-way andadapted to travel thereon, and means for controlling the movements ofsaid earthworkin g tool or tools, substantially as described.

1l. In an excavating apparatus, the combi-V nation of 'an inclinedtrolley-way pivotally supported near its upper end, a movable carriageconnected to said incline below its pivotal support, a scoop or otherearthworking tool or tools mounted upon said trolley-way and adapted totravel thereon, a pulley connected to the trolley-way above its pivotalsupport, a draft chain or rope attached to said tool or tools passingoversaid pulley and thence downwardly to a source of power, and a stopfor limiting the backward movement of the carriage connected to thetrolley-way, substantially as described.

12. In an excavating apparatus the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way pivotally supported at or near its upper endI a movablecarriage connected to said trolley-way below its pivotal support, meansfor locking said carriage against movement, a scoop or otherearthworking tool or tools mounted upon said incline and adapted totravel thereon, a pulley connected to the upper end of the trolley-wayabove its pivotal support, a draft chain or rope attached to saidearthworking tool or tools passing over said pulley and thencedownwardly to a source of power, substantially as described.

13. In an excavating apparatus, the combination substantially ashereinbefore described, of a main frame, a longitudinally-adjustabletrolley-way mounted in said frame, a self-dumping scoop mounted on saidtrolleyway and adapted to travel thereon, mechan- -ism for releasing thescoop-dumping mechanism slidably mounted on said trolley-way andpermanently connected to the main frame of the apparatus, whereby thescoop will be dumped at a iixed point with relation to the main frame,regardless of the longitudinal adjustment of the trolley-way.

14. In an excavating apparatus, the combination 'substantially ashereinbefore described, of a main frame, a longitudinally-adjustabletrolley-way mounted in said frame, a self-dumping scoop mounted uponsaid trolley-way and adapted to travel thereon, a hopperalso mounted insaid frame, and mechanism for releasing the dumping mechanism of thescoop slidably connected to the trolleyway and permanently connected tothe main frame of the apparatus in proper relation to said hopper,whereby the scoop willdischarge into said hopper regardless of thelongitudinal adj ustmcnt of the trolley-way.

l5. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-Way,aself-dumping scoop adapted to travel thereon, means carriedby the scoop for maintaining it in its working position,- a draft chainor rope for hauling the scoop up the trolley-way, a latch for holdingthe scoop at the upper end ofthe trolley-way adapted to be released bythe actionof the scoop in dumping, and means foi` releasing the dumpingmechanism 4of the scoop, substantially as described.

16. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of plows adapted totravel back and forth upon a' suitable support and trim the sides of atrench, and means for moving and holding the plows in proper workingposition when traveling in one direction and Withdrawing and holding thesame away from the sides of a trench when traveling in an oppositedirection, substantially as described. v

17. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a scoop adapted totravel back and forth upon a suitable support, plows traveling with saidscoop in advance thereof adapted to trim the sides of a trench, andmeans for automatically 1n oving and holding said plows in position totrim the sides of atrench wider than the width of the scoop during theforward movement of the latter, and automatically withdraw the same awayfrom the sides IOO IIO

of the trench when traveling in the opposite direction, substantially asdescribed.

18. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a trolley-way, ascoop supported thereby and adapted to travel back and forth thereon,plows traveling with said scoop in advance thereof adapted to trim thesides of a trench, and means for automatically moving and holding saidplows in working position during the advance movement of the scoop andautomatically moving the same away from the sides of the trench duringthe return movement thereof, substantially as described.

19. In an excavating apparatus, the combination with a scoop or otherearthworkingtool adapted to travel vback and forth upon a suitablesupport, plows `mounted in advance of said scoop or otherearthworking-tool and adapted to trim the sides of a trench, the saidplows being carried by arms pivoted to swing in lines transverse to theline of draft, a pair of toggle-joints connecting` said arms and mov-Ving in opposite directions, a draft chain or rope connected to -theknuckle of one of said toggle-joints, the other of said toggle-jointsbeling connected to the scoop or other eart-hworkin g-tool, whereby apull upon said draft chain or rope will cause the arms carrying theplows to be thrust apart, and a spring for drawing said armstogether,substantially as described..

20. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a trolley-way, atrolleycarriage adapted to travel thereon, a scoop carried by saidtrolley-carriage adapted to Swingin a line parallel to the line of draftand to normally hang in its dumping position, latching mechanism formaintainingthe scoop in its working position, mechanism for releasingsaid latching mechanism and a draft chain or rope attached to said scoopat or near its lower front portion, whereby a pull upon said draftchainwill cause the scoop to be engaged by its latching mechanism,substantially as described.

21 In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way, a trolleycarriage adapted to travel back and forth thereon,a scoop carried by said t-rolley-carriage adapted to swing in linesparallel to the line of draftand to normally hang in its dumpingposition, latching mechanism for maintaining the scoop in -its workingposition, a n

latch carried by the trolley-carriage, a keeper at the upper end of thetrolley-way for engaging said latch, means whereby said latch isautomatically released by the action of the scoop in dumping, and meansfor releasing the dumping mechanism of the scoop, substantially asdescribed.

22. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a main frame, aninclined trolleyway slidably and pivotally supportedv at its upper end,means for varying the inclination and longitudinal'adjustment of saidtrolleyway, and a yoke slidably mounted in the main frame at rightangles to the trolley-way and slidably connected therewith forpreventing lateral motion thereof, substantially as described.

23. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a trolley-way havinga scoop or other earthworking tool or tools supported thereby and.adapted to travel thereon, a windlass, a draft-chain attached to saidearthworking tool or tools and to said windlass, an engine for drivingsaid windlass, and a lever or levers mounted in the path of said toolortools for controlling the supply of steam to the engine, substantiallyas described.

24. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way, ascoop or other earthworking tool or tools supportedthereby and adapted to travel thereon, and a hood or shield connected tothe lower end 'of said trolley-way for preventing the pa-th of the scoopfrom becoming clogged at the bottom of the trolley-way by a caving in ofthe side walls of a trench, substantially as described.

25. In an excavating apparatus the combination of an inclinedtrolley-way having an outwardly-curved lower end ,a trolley-carriageadapted to travel back and forth thereon, a

Vscoop suspended from said trolley-carriage adapted to swing in alineparallel to the line "tion, and a draft chain or rope working in a linepractically parallel to the trolley-way and attached to the scoop belowits pivotal point, substantially as described.

26. In an excavating apparatus, the combination with a main frame, oftwo sets of 'carrying-wheels arranged at right angles to each other, oneset being readily detachable from said frame and having theirtread-surface below that of the other set, an engine mounted upon saidframe, and means for operatively connecting and disconnecting the wheelsof either set with the driving-shaft of said engine, substantially asdescribed.

27. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a main frame, aninclined trolleyway slidably and pivotally supported at its upper end, acarriage slidably connected to said trolley-way supported upon trackslocated above the lower end of said trolley-way in line with theswinging movements thereof, racks secured to said tracks, adriving-shaft mounted in said carriage carrying pinions roo meshing withsaid racks, a hand-lever for operating said driving-shaft, a brake forlocking said shaft against rotation, a windlass carried by saidcarriage, means for operating 1 said windlass, a chain or rope connectedto pulley slidably Connected to the trolleydvzty t In testimony whereofI have hereunto set above its pivotal support and permanently my hand-inpresence of two subscribing Wt- Connected to the main frame, land :Ldraft nesses.

chain or rope attached to said scoop and pztss- HARVEY C. LOWRIE. ingover the pulley at the upper end of the 7Witnesses:

trolley-way and downward to a source of FREDERIC S. VATKINS,

power, substantially as described. l FRED. LooKWooD.

